At the end of the day, if you’re thinking of taking on a food challenge and want to know how it’s done, Adam Richman says “watch the pros.” And while he may not have considered himself one of those pros at first, many would agree Richman deserves the title after the amount of food challenges he’s conquered.
Richman says he developed a whole arsenal of tactics to help him get through the crazy food feats he attempted. But his most important strategy pretty much relied on basic common sense. He told Mashed, “I was just doing it just coming in really hungry and I would do workouts … I would do jump workouts or sprints, do lots of squats.” Richman says a lot of exercise was key for him to build up such a huge appetite and get his metabolism up. And he’d fit it in wherever he could. He explained, “I remember being in the hotel rooms and putting phone books and shoes and stuff into my suitcase and doing shoulder bloated squats.”
Of course, there was a whole different approach to super spicy challenges. Less about stretching the stomach, and more about preparing your body for the onslaught of intense heat. Richman advises “having a little bit of white rice and some bananas beforehand for protection.”
You can watch Adam Richman on The Food That Built America and Modern Marvels, both on the History Channel and currently streaming on history.com.
